Arsenal: Wright claims Arteta ‘missed a trick’ with ‘very surprising’ error in loss against PSG

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has commented on the “disappointing thing” about his former side’s loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

The Gunners suffered a huge blow on Tuesday evening, losing 1-0 to PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.

Current 2025 top scorer in Europe, Ousmane Dembele, scored the game’s only goal as PSG ran out deserving winners to take control of the tie, with Arsenal facing an uphill task ahead of next week’s return leg.

Arsenal had no answer for PSG’s bright start as Dembele opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes and could have conceded more goals before growing into the game.

Wright admits he was “very surprised” at Arsenal’s sluggish start as Arteta “really missed a trick”.

“I don’t want to be negative about the team but I’m very surprised by the start of the game,” he said on the Wrighty’s House podcast.

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“I wasn’t expecting that start. To be honest, I was expecting PSG to back off but it was the other way around, it was the opposite.

“We should have been pressing them but it didn’t happen. That’s the disappointing thing, without being too negative.

“I think we really missed a trick in the way we started, we didn’t take advantage of the crowd who were ready to scream and shout.

“I think we got away with out really because we didn’t start like I thought we would, I was very surprised by that.

“I would love to hear Mikel Arteta’s post-match interview because I want to hear what he says about the start.

“I cannot fathom that you have a team like PSG come to your place and your tactics are to sit off them and let them play it out from the back and ease across the halfway line.”

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On Leandro Trossard, Wright added: “The centre-halves didn’t have anywhere near enough pressure on them.

“Leandro, he couldn’t hurt them he couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t impose himself on the game, I didn’t see him do anything of any note.”

Despite this, Wright explained why he still thinks Arsenal can reach the Champions League final.

“It’s only 1-0 but PSG did look impressive,” Wright continued. “But anyone would if you give them that much time and space in a semi-final at your place.

“PSG are going to try and finish that game in the first 20 minutes and Arsenal have to be very much ready for that.

“We’re in the semi-finals and this is it for our season, the league is gone. This is all we’ve got left. So I was expecting a performance because this is it now.

“I have got confidence in us because we’ve shown it before, we’ve shown we’ve got the balls to do it. I just hope we can.”